Dive Brief:

• A new report from the Education Trust found that just 38% of classroom assignments in six urban middle schools were aligned to the appropriate Common Core grade level standard.
• That number was even lower in high-poverty schools, where roughly 33% of assignments met expectations.
• Just 16% of the literacy assignments examined asked students to use a text to support their answer, instead largely asking them to regurgitate basic facts.

Dive Insight:

According to the report's authors, the findings indicate the necessity for a holistic approach to adopting new standards. “Some people say that just by implementing Common Core and other new learning standards we will get to higher-order thinking, and frankly, we did not see that,” Sonja Brookins Santelises, vice president of K12 policy and practice at The Education Trust, told District Administration. “It has to be intentional.”

Administrators should check in and make sure teachers are using appropriate assignments during professional development and assess how well new curriculum actually helps students who were struggling.

Recommended Reading

District Administration: Report: Common Core assignments not up to par